36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36)
A multi-item scale assessing health-related quality of life across physical and mental health domains.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) was developed by Ware JE, Sherbourne CD (1992). It is designed to measure Health-related quality of life. The scale is intended for use with Adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 36 items organized into 9 factors/subscales: Physical Functioning, Role Physical, Role Emotional, Energy/Vitality, Emotional Well-being, Social Functioning, Pain, General Health, Health Change.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Physical Functioning | 3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12 | 10 |
| Role Physical | 13,14,15,16 | 4 |
| Role Emotional | 17,18,19 | 3 |
| Energy/Vitality | 23,27,29,31 | 4 |
| Emotional Well-being | 24,25,26,28,30 | 5 |
| Social Functioning | 20,32 | 2 |
| Pain | 21,22 | 2 |
| General Health | 1,33,34,35,36 | 5 |
| Health Change | 2 | 1 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Varies by item (includes Likert scales, frequency scales, and Yes/No options).
The scale includes 11 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 0 to 100. Interpretation guidelines:
- Subscale scores range from 0 to 100, where higher scores represent better health states.: 0 – 100
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Cronbach's alpha > 0.80 for most subscales.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.